A low, ominous vibration rippled through the ground, accompanied by faint, chilling hisses. Suddenly, the soil erupted as though torn apart, and a tide of black serpents surged up from beneath the earth. Shingin's pupils contracted sharply. Quickly assuming a defensive stance, he commanded the surrounding water to form a barrier, attempting to block the advancing swarm.
But the serpents proved unnervingly cunning. Rather than breaking against the barrier, they veered and burrowed underground. Shingin hesitated, momentarily baffled. Before he could react, the serpents reemerged behind his defenses, lunging straight at Riyugi and Myouka.
"Riyugi! Myouka!" Shingin roared, the waters around him roaring like dragons in response. Yet, it was too late. The serpents moved with inhuman speed, coiling around the two girls, lifting them off the ground.
Riyugi's eyes filled with confusion and terror as the icy touch of the serpents stole her breath. Their scales left crimson gashes on her skin, and their slimy bodies tightened around her like frigid chains, locking her limbs in place. It felt as though her very heartbeat was being crushed by the serpents' suffocating grip.
Myouka struggled fiercely, her breaths shallow and ragged as the serpents slithered relentlessly. They coiled around her legs and arms, their cold, sharp scales biting into her flesh. Her scream was muffled by the writhing mass of serpents, her pain twisting her expression into a barely recognizable mask of anguish.
"Damn it!" Shingin's blood ran cold as he redirected the water to rescue them. But his hesitation gave Watcher 23 the opening he needed.
"You've lost, Eighth Leader," Watcher 23 sneered, his predatory gaze locking onto Shingin. "You're nothing but a failure."
The dagger in Watcher 23's hand glinted as it slashed toward Shingin, who narrowly twisted to evade it. But the Watcher followed with a savage kick to Shingin's chest.
Shingin was hurled backward by the impact, crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Dirt and debris flew as his body left a crater in the ground.
"Boom!" The ground trembled as Shingin landed, pain searing through his chest. His ribs screamed with every attempt to draw breath, and blood spilled from his lips, pooling in the dirt.
"It's over, Eighth Leader," Watcher 23 mocked as he approached, twirling his dagger with cruel confidence.
Shingin struggled to prop himself up, his vision blurring as he glanced toward Riyugi and Myouka. Tears streamed down their faces as they thrashed against the serpents' relentless grip. The coils tightened further, threatening to crush their very bones.
"Stop!" Shingin's voice was hoarse, a desperate cry filled with anguish. Forcing every ounce of strength into his words, he pleaded, "Let them go! Do whatever you want with me, but let them go!"
Watcher 25 chuckled coldly, disdain dripping from his tone. "The Eighth Leader? Ha! You're pathetic. You lack even basic judgment. So naive to beg for mercy."
Ignoring the taunts, Shingin fixed his gaze on the girls. His voice, though faint, carried an unshakable resolve. "Release them. I'm begging you."
"Shingin, no! Don't do this! They won't spare us!" Riyugi's voice trembled with despair, fear mingling with concern for him.
Watcher 23 laughed heartily, his dagger glinting as he pointed it at Shingin. "Release them? Sure, for a price."
At his signal, Watcher 25 commanded the serpents to scatter. Like a flood, they surged toward Shingin. Their intent was clear—they wouldn't let him escape.
The tidal wave of serpents bore down upon him. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Shingin manipulated the water into a defensive wall. But Watcher 23's throwing knives followed swiftly behind, piercing through the barrier. One after another, the blades found their mark, embedding themselves in Shingin's battered body.
Blood spattered across the battlefield as Shingin's form was assailed from every direction. His body, riddled with wounds, seemed more like a broken vessel than a man. Gritting his teeth, he refused to fall, even as the pain grew unbearable and his strength waned.
Finally, his legs buckled, and he collapsed. The blood-soaked earth beneath him blurred as his vision dimmed. Colors faded, the edges of his world dissolving into a murky blackness. His trembling lips mouthed silent words, his pallid face drenched with sweat. Each breath felt like lifting a mountain, his chest heaving in futile attempts to draw air.
Sounds around him became distant, muffled as though heard through thick fabric. The battle's chaos was replaced by a dull, rhythmic hum, alternating between the booming of thunder and the whisper of rivers.
Yet, amidst the cacophony, he could still discern Riyugi and Myouka's anguished cries: "No! Stop it! Please, don't hurt him!"
As Shingin crumpled, it was as if the final thread holding the battlefield together snapped. Silence descended, the air heavy with despair. Movements slowed, the combatants frozen as if time itself had halted.
For that single, fleeting moment, the inevitability of their defeat loomed over them all.